Improvement in tobacco-packing machines



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

1R. LAWRENCE.

TOBACCO PACKING-MACHINES.

193,566. latented Jglly 31,1877.

[72 venan' NAPETEHS. PHOYCLLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGION. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. R. LAWRENCE.

TOBACCO PACKING-MACHINES.

Patented July 31,1877.

JAMES R. LAWRENCE, OF DURHAM, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO;A

STERLING RpCARRIN'GTON, OF ORANGE COUNTY, NORTHi CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT |N\ToBAccoPAcK-|Ne MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

minces, dated July 31, 1877; applicati@ inea December 2, 1876.

. of Durham,in the county of Orange and State of North Carolina, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Packing Grauulated Smoking-Tobacco or other materials,which improvement is fully set forth in thefollowing, specification, reference being,

had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved tobaccopacking machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the right, andFig. 3 an` elevation of the left, side of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section in the line a w of (Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detailedl sectional view of thehpper and oscillating gage'and feed-valves. Fig. 6 is asimilar view of the gage and feed-valves, adjusted to deliver a smaller quantity of tobacco. Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed sectional views of theparts,=rwhereby the'filling and packing of the tobacco bagsv or packages is done, illusY trating two successive stages of operation.

1 The nature of my invention consists in certain constructions, combinations, and arrange- -ments'of parts, hereinafter described and specifically claimed, whereby a machine for packing granulated s'moking-t'obaccoor other materials into bags or packages is produced, which does its work more expeditiously and perfectly than other known appliances used for the same purpose.

In the drawings, A represents a frame,

whereby two platforms, A1 A2, are supported` A shaft, B, is passed through the sides of the Y frame A, and provided, at or near the center,

with a pinion, b, and outside the frame with a hand-crank, l', or a drive-wheel. The pinion b drives a wheel, 0V upon the main shaft C', which latter extends through the sides of the frame A, and is, at one end, provided with a cam-lever, c, andA at the other end with n a' crank, c'. Between the cam-lever c and the sideY of the frame A a slide-rod, D, is interposed, riding on the shaft C' by means of va I ttingy upright slot,d. A-pin, d1, below the shaft C', and another pin, d2, above the shaft C', are fastened to the. said slide D, and operated by the cam-lever c. The upper part vofthe slideD is provided with atoothed rack, D', and is fitted into the-'overhang-ing part of the upper platform A1. Thera'ckD' gears into a gpinion, E, of the extended journal e of the united gage-valves E1, w-hich arcat the other journals pass. The valves E1 are of the shapey lof hollow cylinders,.w-ith closed ends,gand a lsolid connection, E2, between them. The infner space of the said valves E1 is divided' by `pistons E3, which arev operated` by screws E4. The said screws E4 are passed through the journals e andchlrespeetively, and' held in polsitio'n by collars 62and thumb-heads e3, out' {side the valves. The valves E1 are each provided with a longitudinal slot,.c1, wl1ichisgrcovered or closed atthe off-side of vthe piston by a slide, e5, with a surface conforming with that of the valves. The slide e5 isunited with the piston E2., and, by the described ar-l rangement, the inner space on one side of the ipist-on isalways open, while thaton the other ,side is always closed. Thevertical stroke of the slide-rod D is such` that, at its upper terfrnination, the valves El are turned withA theirv lopen slots e4 upward, and.vice versa". The valves E1 are each inclosed in acover, F, fast- -cned to the platform A1, andv provided with 1an inclined guide, F', toward which an opening, f, in the said cover F leads, and effects J communication wth'the valve. p The covers F lprevent the contents of the valve from droplpin g out before the opening j' is reached.y

Above the valve E1 the platform A1 of the hopper is provided with openings a and with fslides a', wherewith the said openings maybe closed and the part of the platform A ofthe hop'per which is occupied by the said slides lserves as the bottom of the hopper Gr. Above l the openings a a shaft, G1, is passed through `the sides of the hopper G, whichhas radialA iarms g inside and a crank-levenfg', outside vthe hopper, by means of ywhich latter and connecting-rod, G2, the revolving crankV c' effects an oscillatory motion of the said-ish aft G1. The tobacco discharged into the guides F1 slides dow-n upon the same and drops i-nto funnels H, the lower parts ofV which are inserted into the tobacco-bags lt inside-of strong. receptacles H', whichare held by clamps or lotherwise to the platform A2, and prevent the gend, supported by another extendedjournal, 61, and the frame A, through which the said'- bursting and disarrangement of the funnels and bags. The tobacco in the funnels H is then rammed down by means of rods I, which are fastened to a cross-head, I1, upon a vertically-reciprocating rod, I2. The upper part of the rod I2 passes through the platform A1 and its lower part through the platform A2. Below the platform A2 the rod I2 is provided with a forked head, K, which has two flat prongs, K', in the shape of an inverted T, coupled at their extremities by studs or stays la, and riding on the main shaft C' by means of vertical slots k1. The horizontal ends VYof' the prongs K' project a little beyond the stays lo, and thus vform two forked bearings, wherewith it travels on and between the vertical parts of two T-shaped lateral braces, L, of the frame A, thereby giving steadiness against tension to the shaft I2 and the parts connected therewith. One of the prongs K' is provided witha pin, k2, and friction-roller k3, which latter bears upon the surfaces of two cams, M M', fastened to the main shaft C'. The cam M is pointed and slender, and effects a quick and short downstroke of the shaft I2 and the rods I. The cam M' effects a lower stroke, and by means of a circular extension, m, keeps the rods I down for a part of the revolution of the shaft G'. The wheel C is provided with a pin, N, whereby it operates a cam, fn, on a leverplate, N1. The said lever-plate N1 is, by means of two fulcrum-pins, n1, secured to two lugs, N2, on the lower side of the platform A2. The swinging portion of the lever-plate N1 is provided with two pins, n2, which are fitted into the heads O of two vertical rods, O', which pass through the platform A2 and support an open frame, I), by means of nuts o and thumbbuttons o' upon their threaded ends. The said frame P incloses the funnels H on three sides and serves to lift them from the tobaccobags after they are filled. A spring, Q, fastened to the front brace L, bears on a pin, q,

on one of the prongs K', and thereby keeps the rods I up. Y

Operation: The openings a in the hopper G are closed by the valves a', and the hopper is filled with tobacco. 'Iwo bags, h, are drawn over the ends of two funnels, H, and the same inserted into the receptacles H', which are then placed upon and attached to the platform A2, the funnels being in a central position below the rods I. The pistons E3 are now adjusted by means of the thumb-screws e3, according to the quantity of tobacco which the bags shall contain. The slides a' are now removed, and the machine is set in motion. The oscillations of' the shaft G1 with the radial arms g cause the tobacco to pass through the openings a and e4 into the interior of' the valves E1. The cam c now moves the slide D down, which causes a half revolution of the valves E, and turns their slots f down. The

tobacco is lthereby discharged from the vsaid valves upon the guides F', and passes into the funnels H. The rodsfI, which have hitherto remainedat their highest elevation, are

now brought down with a quick `motion by means of the cam M, as described, whereby the tobacco at the bottom of the bag is firmly wedged down. The rods I, as soon as they are relieved from the cam M, are rapidly moved up by the spring Q, or by a cord and weight balance, thereby preventing the tobacco from adhering to its surface and being carried up. After the whole amount of tobacco is discharged from the valves E1 and has entered the funnels H, the rods I are brought down once more upon it by means of the cam M', and held down by means of the circular periphery m of the same. This second descent of' the rods I insures the packing of any loose particles of tobacco which are at the xtop of the bag and in the funnel, thus ei'ecting a perfect packing of all of the tobacco in the bag h. During the latter operation the pin q comes in contact with the cam n, and thereby lifts the frame P, which takes thefunnels H from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8, and thereby entirely withdraws them from the bags h and the receptacles H'. rIhe frame P now descends to its former level, andthe rods I are moved up -by being relieved from the cam M in the above-described manner, and the receptacles H' with the filled bags are removed. rIhe valves E1 may be provided with vscales and the slides e4 with pointers, or vice versa, indicating the measurement or quantity attained by the adjustment of the piston E3.

The iniiuence of' the weather upon the exceedingly hygroscopic tobacco necessitates continuallyrepeated adjustments of the valves E1, and constant reweighing or remeasuring of the quantities discharged by the said valves, which difficulties would be greatly reduced by the use of a scale, as described, in

connection with a hygrometer.

It will be practicable to construct a machine with only one packing-rod, or with more than two such rods, and this will be done if circumstances require, and when done the principle of the machine will not be changed or departed from.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for packing granulated tobacco or other material,a feeding mechanism, in combination with a packing mechanism, with means for giving to the packing-'rod or rods more than one reciprocation for` each supply from the feeder, substantially as set forth.

2. In a tobacco-packing machine, the combination of the main shaft C, oscillating stirring-shaft G1, oscillating tubular valve E1, and

intermediate mechanism for producing these movements, substantially as described.

3. The valve E1, having a slot, e4, in combination with the piston E3, having a slide, e5,

and the screw E4, having a collar, e2, and a thumb-head, e3, substantially as set forth.

4. The valve E1, having a pinion, E, in combination with the slide D, having a rack, D',

pins d1 d2, and a slot, d, the main shaft C', `Wheel C, carrying an eccentric pin, N, the cam c, shaft B, lever G2, and shaft G1, subwhole constructed and arranged to operate stantially as set forth. substantially as described.

5. The combination of the rod 12, carrying Witness my hand in the matter of my apa packing-rod I, the forked head K, having plication for a patent for' a machine for packprongs K', slots k1, pins k2, the long and short ing granulated tobacco or other articles this cams M M1, main shaft C', spring Q, or its 29th day of November, 1876. equivalent, and guides L L of the frame, sub- JAMES R. LAWRENCE. stantially as and for the purpose described. Witnesses:

6. The combination of the frame P, rods O', D. A. JOHNSON, lever -plate N1, cam n, main shaft G', and W. M. MAYNOP. 

